


Don't Fear the Reaper

by KaRaEa



Category: Supernatural, Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Gen, coping fic, death is not the end for someone as awesome as Allison
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-24
Updated: 2014-06-24
Packaged: 2018-02-06 01:03:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1838716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaRaEa/pseuds/KaRaEa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Allison is dead. Bizarrely, this means being offered a job by a gaunt man with ketchup around his mouth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Fear the Reaper

**Author's Note:**

> Based on this gifset  
> http://mywholebrainiscrying.tumblr.com/post/88914365572/superwolf-au-you-have-a-darkness-inside-of  
> By mywholebrainiscrying
> 
> Unbeta'd so may be edited at some point.

_Allison closes her eyes._

_"Hello Allison."_

Allison opens her eyes with a gasp. She's not lying on the ground in Scott's arms anymore, she's standing upright in a day lit room and for a moment she feels dizzy. She looks around and her eyes come to rest on a gaunt looking man sat nearby watching her.

"What's going on? Where am I?" Her voice is breathy and panicked. She shouldn't be here, she should be with the others, she should be fighting, she should be-

"Hello Allison." The gaunt man says, and suddenly she remembers.

She doesn't have to be anywhere anymore.

"Who are you?" She asks, somewhat calmed by the power and knowledge in his voice even as it terrifies her. She no longer believes this is a man but refrains from asking _what_ are you.

"I am Death." He calmly mops some ketchup from the corner of his mouth and Allison fights a hysterical giggle. "And I'm sorry to inform you that you are, in fact, dead."

Her breath catches and her eyes tear up, heart pounding. _Yes! You're breathing! Your heart is beating! You can't be dead!_ But she knows. She knew before he spoke. She remembers the cold and the feel of one of Scott's tears hitting her face.

"Don't look so upset." Death says, and Allison can't help but pay attention. "I have other plans for you that don't involve wasting away your existence in an afterlife."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'd like to introduce you to someone," Death says, standing up and moving over to the door, where a pretty brunette has just entered. "This is Tessa. She'll provide you with the basic instruction."

Allison blinks. "Wait a minute... Instructions for what?"

Death smiles ever so slightly. "Congratulations on your new job.

Tessa smiles warmly at her and Allison attempts to smile back, mind feeling slow and stupid. She can't think straight, can't figure out what's going on...

"Job? What new job? I don't... I don't understand." She admits, shaking her head and pleading for an explanation.

“I've chosen you as one of my, shall we say personal assistants?” He turns to look at Tessa, who smiles back. Allison thinks she might like her, she likes people who smile.

“And what would I be assisting you with?” Allison asks cautiously.

“Collecting the souls of those who have passed. It is not easy, nor is it particularly rewarding, but I have every confidence you could thrive in this arena.” Death explains.

"You want me to kill people?" Allison asks, horrified.

"No," Tessa answers with a reassuring touch to the arm. "Your job is to help those whose time it is move on. You're no more responsible for their deaths than you are for an earthquake. When you get there their lives have already ended, they just haven't left their bodies yet. You're there to help them let go and guide them to their afterlife."

"But if they're still alive before i take them, doesn't that mean I'm killing them?" Allison argues.

"I took you. Does that mean I killed you?"

"I-" Allison hesitates. She can still feel that blade sinking into her, can still feel herself dying. She frowns. "I don't know."

Death speaks again and she holds her breath. "You have a darkness inside of you. I can see it around your heart, encompassing your soul. Your entire life has been surrounded by the death of your loved ones and whether you appreciate it or not, it puts you in the perfect position to become a reaper. You may not like death, but it has a penchant for you.”

Tessa meets her eyes understandingly. "This is the natural order, Allison. People die. What do you think would happen if we weren't there to help them move on?" She lets Allison absorb this for a short time before holding her hand out. "Will you let me show you before you decide?"

"Decide? I have a choice?"

"Of course you have a choice. If you want I can show you to your heaven at any time." Tessa pauses. "Will you let me show you first though?"

Allison nods absently. Heaven. She wasn't so sure that was where she was headed after all the things she did with Gerard. She wonders if her mom would be there, or if she was in hell for all the innocent blood on her family's hands. For trying to kill Scott.

"Take my hand."

Allison takes her hand and gives Death a parting nod.

Death returns the nod. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Allison."

...

Allison's fingers brush Tessa's palm and suddenly they're on a road. There's a car crash nearby, a collision. There's no paramedics on site yet.

They walk up to the nearest vehicle, so badly damaged they have to step over pieces of it to get to the drivers side door. Inside is a woman, covered in blood. Her chest is crushed by the steering wheel. Her closed eyes flutter.

Allison's own chest seems to constrict in sympathy. "How long has she got?"

"However long we give her." Tessa strokes the woman's hair from her face.

"What if," Allison swallows and looks away from all the blood. "What if we wait until the paramedics get here? What if they can save her?"

"They can't," Tessa says simply, "Her ribs are crushed, her lungs are punctured and filling with blood, her heart is failing as we speak. She's in a lot of pain."

A moment passes, Allison thinks she can hear sirens in the distance. "But if we don't take her..."

"Then she'll live." Tessa regards Allison with sympathetic and assessing eyes.

"You said they can't save her!" There are definitely sirens. If she can just stop Tessa long enough-

"They can't," Tessa repeats, "She'll live, probably in a coma, until we take her. But she will never wake up. She'll never see her loved ones again. She'll always be in pain."

"You said probably, that means there's a chance-"

"A small one, yes."

"Then leave her! See if she wakes up!"

"Is that what you really think I should do? Even though she's in pain? Even though it's her time?" Tessa asks.

"I-" Allison takes a breath. Would she want to live like that? "I don't know," she admits at last. "I don't know."

Tessa nods. "I'm going to take her now."

Allison forces back the instinct to stop Tessa as she reaches for the woman again. As Tessa's hand makes contact the woman opens her eyes.

"It's alright," Tessa says soothingly, "Come with me."

The woman takes Tessa's hand and whimpers. "It hurts so much."

"I know, but it's not going to hurt anymore, just come with me," Tessa repeats.

The woman nods and the world shifts. Allison looks around at what seems to be a birthday party.

"Surprise!" The assembled guests shout.

"My fortieth birthday." The woman breaths.

Allison watches as the woman bends down to lift a small child and is kissed on the cheek.

"Were you surprised, Auntie Em?" The child asks.

"Very, I nearly fainted." The woman replies.

Tessa touches Allison's shoulder. "It's time for us to leave."

Allison turns towards the reaper and the world shifts again.

...

Allison observes ten more deaths, men, women and children handled by Tessa before the reaper offers her a turn. By then they both know what choice Allison is going to make. 

"This first one I'll help you with," Tessa says, "You should know what to do by now, but I'll be right next to you if you need me."

"And after that?" Allison asks, suddenly terrified of navigating this whole new world on her own.

"You'll be fine," Tessa smiles. "Ready?

Allison takes a deep breath and nods.

"You think you can find them on your own this time?" Tessa asks.

Allison closes her eyes and waits for the tugging sensation in her gut. She opens her eyes. "Yeah, I got it."

She pulls back against the tugging and the world shifts. They're in a hospital this time. A woman lies in the bed, looking small and tired. She looks up as the reapers enter.

"Who are you?" The woman asks.

"I'm Allison, and this is Tessa. You must be Gracie," Allison introduces herself as she steps towards the bed, the name popping into her head as soon as she needs it.

"What are you doing in here? This is a private room," Gracie objects.

A glance at Tessa sets Allison back on track. "We're here to help you. It's time."

Gracie's eyes widen. "No. I'm not going."

"Gracie-"

"No!" Gracie shouts, "I'm not damn well going!"

Tessa moves to help but Allison shakes her head slightly. She's got this.

"It's time, Gracie. Aren't you tired? Don't you want to rest?" Allison asks gently.

"I said no." Gracie sits up, hands clenching. "My family needs me, my daughter needs me. I'm not going anywhere."

The air seems to leave the room. Allison can't breath. All she can see is a girl pounding on her father's chest demanding that he stop the test.

She turns to Tessa. "Why?" She demands. "Why this one? Why her?"

Tessa leads her away from Gracie to the other end of the room. "Why not this one?"

"She's a mother! Her family needs her!" Allison says. "We can't take her away from her daughter!"

"We can and we must. They all have people who need them. Her daughter will be fine. It'll hurt for a long time-"

"It'll hurt forever!" Allison interjects. "Nobody is fine after losing a parent!"

"Allison, it's her time," Tessa's voice is firm. "Everybody has to die eventually, that's just the way it is. Whether it's today or tomorrow, the girl is going to lose her mother, and it'll never be the right time. It'll hurt no matter how long they get."

Allison swallows.

They turn back to Gracie, who looks terrified but determined.

Allison notices the framed picture on the bedside cabinet and has to close her eyes for a moment. "Can we give them more time?"

"Allison-"

"Just long enough to say goodbye. Please."

"It's your call," Tessa says, "Just remember what happens if you leave it too long."

Allison grimaces. How can she forget? If someone dies because she doesn't collect Gracie then that's on her shoulders. And if Gracie keeps refusing and she takes her anyway, she'll be a ghost. She has to make Gracie let go. "I remember."

Gracie looks cautious as they walk back over.

"Call your daughter," Allison tells her.

"But-"

"You know it's your time, Gracie. I'm giving you the chance to say goodbye."

Gracie holds out stubbornly for a moment before crumpling tiredly and reaching in the bedside cabinet for her cell phone. She turns it on and stares blankly at the screen for a moment. "What do I say?"

"I love you? I'm proud of you?" Allison suggests. "Whatever you want."

Gracie nods and dials a number. The phone picks up after a few rings.

"Hey, baby," Gracie says, voice strained. She waits for her daughter to answer. "Yeah, everything's fine sweetie, I just..." She trails off, pressing her lips together. She clears her throat and continues. "I just wanted to say hi. How's the studying going? ... Uhuh...” She chuckles wetly, “Don't worry, you'll get there, I hated maths too... I know... Why don't you ask Dad if he can help you out? He's not too bad at it... I'd love to honey, but I never did get the hang of it... Well I'll let you get back to it then... Bye sweetie, I love you so, so much," Gracie's voice cracks and she scrunches her eyes up against tears. "I'm fine, everything's fine, you just get back to your school work."

Allison looks down, reminded of her mom's voice telling asking her if she had time to talk. She'd give anything to have said yes, to have had that last conversation with her mommy.

"No sweetie, you stay where you are... I promise... I love you too, bye." Gracie hangs up the cell phone and holds it to her mouth.

"Are you ready?" Allison asks after a moment.

"No." Gracie drops the cell phone. "But then I never will be. Come on, let's go before I change my mind."

Allison holds out her hand, as she's watched Tessa do before, and Gracie takes it. The world shifts and they're in a hospital room, Gracie is still lying in a hospital bed but now there are balloons.

And Gracie is holding a baby.

Allison takes a breath, wipes her eyes and leaves.

...

Tessa's smiling when she finds her. "You did well."

Allison nods, unable to feel anything but crushingly guilty.

"Do you think you can handle it from here on out?" Tessa asks.

"Yeah. Yeah, I can handle it."

"If you want me just ask for me." Tessa instructs.

"Ask for you?"

"Just say it aloud."

"Like, 'Tessa, I need your help?'" Allison clarifies.

"Exactly." Tessa smiles. "But you won't need me, you'll be fine."

Allison turns to leave, but hesitates. “Does it get easier?”

Tessa shrugs. “A little. But if it's too easy then you're doing it wrong. It isn't supposed to be easy, or even right. It just is.”

Allison breathes in, steeling herself. Tessa watches on until Allison's face sets with resolve.

“Go. You've got a job to do.”

...

Allison walks towards the small form on the swing. It's always easier when they've already let go of their bodies. She crouches down, the boy's name entering her mind like every other time she's done this. "Hello, I'm Allison. You must be Nick, right?"

The boy meets her eyes, his own wide and frightened.

"Don't be scared, everything's going to be alright. Do you want to go see your grampa?"

Nick nods.

Allison holds out her hand with a reassuring smile. "Come with me."

 

 

 

 


End file.
